Article dispensing system



Sept 23, 1952 P. L. I Aw ARTICLE DISPNSING SYSTEM 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 26. 1949 FIG. l

In unter: Balm" L Law. ay ww( M Y 'Attuwmuv Sept. 23, 1952 P. LAW v 2,611,540

ARTICLE. DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed May 26. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 LLLLUJJJJ4 [gi Y N SA' SM.

SPt- 23 1952 P. L. LAW

ARTICLE DISPENSING SYSTEM Filed May 26, 1949 lilarmys.

4) Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Sept. 23, 1952 ARTICLE DISPENSING SYSTEM Peter Lincoln Law, Roseville, near Sydney, New

South Wales, Australia, assigner to Communi- -cation Engineering Pty. Limited, Cammeray, near Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, a. company incorporated under the laws of Australia Application May 26, 1949, serial No. 95,495 In Australia June 11, 1948 9 Claims. 1

The invention relates to article dispensing systems and more particularly to arrangements associated with conveying means carrying various kinds of articles for selective release, to control the release of said articles and to give price indicationsin accordance with the prices of said various kinds of articles.

Article dispensing systems are Vknown in which articles are stored on or in conveying means so arranged in shelves, bins or the like that said conveying means are set -in motion each time an article has to be dispensed. A complete system of this character, to which the present in-v vention is applicable, is fully described in copending application Serial No. 643,945, filed January 28, 1946, of T. S'. Skillman,` the said application being incorporated 'by reference herein. In the system of said application, conveying means move the desired kind of article to a point of discharge where the article is then released from said conveying means. Said conveying means are started and stopped by the operation of clutches which connectand disconnect the conveying means with a common driving shaft and these Acltuches are individually controlled in accordance with the desired kinds of articles. Furthermore it has been proposed in said copending application to use these clutch magnets for the operation of a price indicator in such a way that contacts on the individual clutch magnets mark the price of the corresponding articles on a pricing lframe which trans'- fers this price marking to a pricing unit-and from there to lamp indicators, registers or the like.

Difficulties, however, arise when, for example, a check has to be made of the pricing unit, as hitherto there has been no possibility of operating the pricing unit without discharging articles from the various bins. Furthermore, comparatively complicated circuits are necessary to operate the clutch magnets without the pricing unit for the reloading of bins.

According to the present invention these difculties are overcome by an arrangement which permits an operation ofthe `value indicating means. for example a price indicator, independent ofthe release of articles from the storage and releasing devices of the article dispensing system. This arrangement includes switching means which are operated by the selecting mechanism of the article dispensing system and in turn operate independently the releasing means for selected articles and the value indicating means.

According to another feature of the invention checking means are provided which by their operation interrupt the operating circuit for the releasing means, so that upon selection only the value of the selected article is indicated, but the article itself is not released from storage.

It is a further feature of the invention to operate the releasing means without operating the value indicating means to facilitate the reloading of the storage devices.

According to a further feature of the invention all releasing means are operated over a common circuit which is equipped with a spark quench device to suppress the sparking at the contact operating the releasing means. By using a common circuit only one spark quench device is necessary for al1 releasing means.

These and other features of the invention will be more apparent from the following description in conjunction with the drawings, which show one embodiment of the invention incorporated in an article dispensing system.

In the drawings Fig. 1 shows in schematic form a selecting circuit for an article dispensing system.

Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram of the electrical equipment associated with the releasing devices of an article dispensing system,

Fig. 3 shows circuits for adding the prices of articles selected for release by the article dispensing system.

Fig. 4 is an example of a storage and releasing device which may be used in conjunction with the invention.

Fig. 5 shows how the Figures 1, 2 and 3 may be placed together to form a continuous circuit diagram.

Articles are selected for dispensing from the apparatus by pressing two of the keys Kl K0 (Fig. l) in succession, the combination depending on the code allotted to the article required. This results in the operation of a clutch relay such as HCR (Fig. 2) which energises a clutch HCL (Figs. 2 and 4), which in turn causes the article required to be released from storage. The released article stirkes a trip contact I ITC which restores the circuits to their normal positions ready for selection of the next article.

Operation of a clutch relay completes circuits, to the pricing unit shown in Fig. 3, through a value determining device or pricing frame 30 (Fig. 2), which relates the connections between the clutch relays and the pricing unit to the amount to be charged for each article. The value determining device can be any form of jumpering ar- Zero by operation of the key FK (Fig. 3). A con- Y Y tinuous total of the prices of all dispensed articles is recorded on register PTR (Fig. 3) and the total of any special group of transactions, e. g. articles dispensed by particular salesmen, may-be recorded by completing a circuit for register PSR (Fig. 3).

To permit the prices of articles to be checked without releasing the articles from storage a key CH (Fig. 1) is provided whicnmay be operated to disconnect clutches performing the dispensingV of articles and to permit the prices of articles to be indicated and added in the pricing unit asthe article codes are set up ch the keys.

Itis sometimes necessar-yto operate the articlestorage and releasing ldevices (for example as shown in Fig. lv and described hereafter) without operating the article pricing equipment, as occurs, for example, in'reloading a system in which articles-are stored on vconveyor belts. In thiscase the belt Inustbemoved. forward while articles are being loaded onto it. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 4, where the clutch l ICL operates through lever 54 to engage the gear wheels 52, one of which is fixed to a continuously rotating shaft 53. --The other gear 52 is xed to shaft 5I which also carries roller 50. The belt 38 on which articles 31 are stored passes around rollers 39 and 50 so that engagement,y ofthe clutch moves the belt until the rst art-icle topples off -to be carried away onsome form ofconveyor 56. While toppling, the varticlestrikes'the-member 55, thus operatingthe trip contact yI ITC. v

'Tol reload the belt 38a loading bar 51, which may Ybe `common to several belts, andwhich is supported by arms 58 pivoted at 59, is lowered to the position shown by the dotted lines. This prevents articles toppling off the front of these belts, which may now-be driveniorward while articles are loaded onto .the back of them. A loading switchlsuch as is shown in Figs; 2 and 4 by contacts ILSI and ILSZ is associated with each loading bar 57 to conditionthe group of storage and releasing devices for the loading operation. These contacts are operated when the loading bar is in its .lowered position and prepare circuits forv the various clutches so that the associated storage and releasing devices may be operated by inserting a plug with a connection between the tip and ring conductors into the corresponding loading jacks IILJ, lllLJ (Fig. 2) to cornplete the circuit to the clutches IllCL, HCL TheV operation of the circuits involved will now be described in detail:

I To operatethe apparatus for the release of an article fromstorage the digits of the code corresponding tothe wanted article laretransmitted to the4 apparatus by means of a set of ten keys KIv Y. K8, of which lthree are shown in Fig. l.

Fig. lzshows the circuit arrangement Vfor selection of two-digitl codes, thus giving a capacity of 100 articles, but this may be extended in size by using three or more digits in the selection. For two-digit codes there will be ten relays A-J associated with the keys lil-K and each relay has 1l contacts al-aIl--jl-:l I. Only three of these relaysare shown in Fig. l and on these some of the contacts are omitted `for clearness. It will be appreciated, however, that the remaining revcontacts al to all. `prepare circuits to ten clutch relays of which two lays and contacts are connected in a similar manner to those shown in Fig. 1.

Assuming that an article corresponding to the code II is required, the gkey -KI will be pressed twice in succession. When the'v keyis pressed the rst time relays A and IS operate in series from earth over key Kl, contact ml, coil of relay A, coil of relay S, to battery. Relay A closes its y Operated contacts al to all) are shown in Fig. 2 by IDCR and I ICR, but these circuits are not yet completed to earth. Operated Contact all prepares a holding circuit for relay A. Relay S operates its contact S'I which completes a circuit for relay N 'which in turn operates its contacts nl and n2. Operated contact nl prepares a circuit for relay M and operated contact n2 cornpletes the holding circuit for relay A from earth over operated contact n2, operated contact al I, relay A, to battery. Operated contact n2 also completes a holding circuit for relay N lfrom earth, over operated contact n2, contact pc3, relay N, to battery. While the key KI is held pressed relays A, S and N remain operated. When the key KI is released relays A and N remain operated over their holding circuits but relay S releases. Contact Ysl now completes` a circuit for relay M from earth, over contactv sl, operated contact nl, relay M, toA battery. Relay M operates itscontacts ml to ml which dis.- connect the keys Kl l. Ki) from relays A toJ and connect them to the leads to the clutch Whenv key KI is again pressed for the selection of the second digit a circuit is completed for relay IICR. (Fig. 2) and relay PC (Fig. 1) in series. This circuit is from earth over key KI, operated contact ml, operated contact al, lead 2G.. (Figs. l and 2), relay II CR, contact ILSZ, lead 22 (Figs. 2 and 1) contact Ca2, relay PC, to battery. Relay PC operates its contacts pol to p05. Operated contact pel breaks the circuit for slow-release relay T, which is normally operated, but this has no eiect at this stage, since its only contact-:tl is shunted by contact Ca2. Operated contact pc2 prepares a circuit for rthe operation of the storage and releasing device which will be de.- scribed below. Operated contact p03 opens the circuit for relay N, which releases,- but operated contacts p64 and pc5 maintain the holding circuits or relays .A and M, which would otherwise be broken by the release of relay N. Relay I ICR (Fig. 2) closes its contacts llcrl to II c15, Operated contact Ilcrl closes a holding circuit from earth, over trip contact IITC, relay IICR, con-j tact ILS2, lead 22 (Figs. 2 and l), contact Ca2, relay PC to battery. Thus, when the key KI is released again, relays ll CR and PC remain operated. Operated contact Ilcr2 (Fig. 2) closes a circuit for the clutch II CL, which forms part of the storage and releasing device, from earth over clutch IICL, loading jack IILJ, operated contact IIcrZ, lead 25 (Figs. 2 and l) operated contact pc2, contact cal to battery. Operated contacts IIc13, llcr4 and Ilc75 close circuits which will be described later.

. The clutch IICL operates as previously described to release an article from the storage and releasing device, and the released article momentarily opens the trip contact lTC. This breaks the circuit for relays I ICR and PC which release. However, relay PC is so designed that it .will release before 'relay IICR, so that the circuit to clutch IICL is broken iirst at Contact pc2. .The spark quench circuit SQ (Fig. 1) absorbs the vcur-- rent' induced in clutch CL when the circuit is broken. Thus it will be seen that only one spark quench circuit SQ is required instead of needing one for each clutch if-the contact pc2 did not break before Contact I Icr2. The release of relay PC breaks the holding circuit for relays A and M which release, thus restoring the circuit to normal ready for the lnext selection.

When relay I ICR (Fig. 2) operates, opera-ted contacts IIcr3, ller# and IIcr complete circuits through the pricing frame 30 to the pricing unit shown in Fig. 3. In the preferred arrangement this pricing frame has a number of sets of horizontal conductors 33 and 34 (Fig. 2), one conductor in each set being associated with the contacts of each clutch relay. As many sets of horizontal conductors will be required as there are denominations in the prices of articles to be dispensed. In Fig. 2 two sets of horizontal conductors are shown, associated with two of the contacts on each clutch relay, and representing shillings and pence. An extra contact is shown on, each clutch relay which would be used if a third denomination (either pounds or halfpence)v were required.

Associated with each set of horizontal conductors, but insulated therefrom, is a set of vertical conductors 35 and 35, each set having one conductor for each value in the denomination it represents. In Fig. 2 there would be twelve conductors 36, representing O to 1l pence and up to 20 conductors 35 representing 0 to 19 shillings. These vertical conductors are connected through cables 28 and 23 to relays in the pricing unit shown in Fig. 3. The conductor representing one penny will be connected to relay IP, the conductor representing eleven pence will be connected to relay IIP and so on.

Connections may be made between each horizontal conductor and a vertical conductor at their intersection to connect the two conductors required. Thus an earth applied through a contact of a, clutch relay may be made to operate any required relay in the pricing unit, corresponding to the price to be charged for the articles rassociated with this particular clutch relay.

In the pricing unit (Fig. 3) the apparatus for adding the pence is shown in detail, but the apparatus for adding the shillings, which is almost identical to that for the pence is represented by the'rectangle 31, whichwill be referred to as being similar to the pence adding unit, except for the details indicated in the rectangle 31, concerning the carry-over from pence to shillings denominations.

Suppose the price of'each article released by clutch HCL was .eleven pence. When relay IICR operates it completes a circuit for relay I IP (Fig. 3) from earth over operated contact IIcM (Fig. 2), horizontal bar 34, the vertical bar 35 corresponding to eleven pence, cable 28 (Figs. V2 and 3) coil of relay IIP to battery. Relayl IP operates and closes its contacts IIpI and IIp2. Operated contact I Ipl prepares a circuit for relay IICP and operated contact IIpZ completes a holding circuit for relay IIP from earth, over contact Icpal, relay PP, operated contact IIpZ, coil of relay I IP, to battery.

Relay PP also operates over this circuit and closes its contacts ppl and m32. Operated contact pplv prepares a holding circuit for relays I ICP and I I'CPA, and operated contact ppZ closes a circuit for relay PA from earth, over contact co2, wiper and arcI pm, contact pm, contact IcpcLZ, operated contact mi2, relay PA to battery.

Relay PA operates its contacts paI to m4'. Operated contact pc2 completes the circuit for relay IICP from earth over operated contact pc2, operated contact IIpI, contact IIcpaI, relay IICP, to battery. Relay I ICP operates and closes its contact I IcpI which applies earth over operated contact ppI, operated contact lIcpI to the coil of relay IICPA, but this relay already has earth applied to the other end of its coil and so will not operate. Operated contact pa3 closes a circuit from earth, over operated contact mz3, con-'- tact cbI, register PTR, to battery. PTR is a counting register which indicates the total number of Vpence counted by the apparatus. This register operates over this circuit and at this stage increases its indication by one penny. Operated contact pa4 closes a similar circuit for the register PSR. This register is similar to PTR but will operate only if earth is applied to lead 40. This circuit may be completed through a contact operated whenever required, for example, to register the sales of a particular class of article or to register sales made by a particular salesman. There may be several registers connected in a similar manner to PSR, the circuit of each being selectively earthed when it is required to operate that register. Operated contact paI closes a circuit from earth over operated contact paI, magnet PM, to battery.

Magnet PM is the driving magnet for a rotary switch having three banks of contacts with Wipers represented by pm4, 22m-5 and pmt. These wipers step from contact tocontact each time magnet PM releases, and when they leave the last contacts of the banks, the other ends of the wipers make contact again with the first contacts in the banks. This type of switch is well known in the telephone art. The switch used here is shown as having thirteen contacts on each bank, but it is well known that arrangements can be made to use switches with a greater number of contacts, stepping automatically over those which are not required. When the magnet PM operates,

- it opens its contacts pmi to 201113. Contacts pmI and pm3 have no function at this stage but contactpmZ breaks the circuit for relay PA, which releases, thus interrupting at contacts pa3 and m4 the circuits for the registers PTR and PSR. Contact pc2 removes the earth from the junction of the coils of relays I ICP and IICPA and these two relays operate in series from earth, over operated contact ppl, operated contact IIcpI, relay IICPA, relay IICP, to battery. Relay IICPA-operates its contact IIcpaI, which prepares a circuit for relay IOCP. Contact pal releases magnet PM.

The release of magnet PM steps the wipers @m4, pm and pms on to the next contacts. Wiper pm4 applies earth to a lamp in an indicator 3I so that the next lamp on this indicator will be lighted when the switch steps on. Contact pm2 recloses the circuit for relay PA which re-operates. The contacts of relay PA full the same functions as before, except that contact pc2 now causes the operation of relay IDCP from earth, over operated contact pc2, operated contact I I p, operated contact IIcpaI, contact Icpal, relay IOCP, to battery.

As relay PA operates magnet PM and magnet PM releases relay PA, this sequence will continue, causing registers PTR and PSR to step on, wipers pmll, pm and pm to step on, and the various relays I UCP, IGCPA, SCP, iCPA etc. to operate at each step. Relays from 2CP, ZCPA to SCP,

SCPAin-this chain-have not been shown in Fig. 3 but -it will be readily understood that their operation is the same as for those shown.V After eleven steps have been made relay I CPA roperates in series with relay ICP and operates its contacts l'cpal and IcpaZ. Operated contact IcpaZprevents relay PA from re-operating and operated contact opal opens the holding circuit for relays I IP and PP which release. Contact ppl releases all the relays ICP-I ICP and ICPA-I ICPA, while contact ppZ prevents the re-operation of 'relay PA. Y

Thus the operation of clutch relay IICR in Fig. 2 has caused the addition of eleven pence into the register PTR and into register PSR); if this is in circuit, and stepped `the wiper @m4 around eleven steps, to make it indicate eleven pence more than before.- If the connection on the pricing frame 30 had between the bar 34 and the vertical bar representing tenpence, the relay IUP-would 'have operated instead of relay IIP and in turn would have operated relay I BCP, thus only ten steps would have been made before the stepping was terminated by operation of relay ICPA.

rA similar process takes place in the shillings adding unit 31, initiated by a circuit from earth, over operated contact II C13 (Fig. 2), a vertical bar 35, cable 23 (Figs. 2 and 3) to the appropriate relay the shillings adding unit 3T. This unit contains relays, registers and switches, similar to the lpence adding unit, and therefore is notY described in detail, A few elements vof the circuit are shown in 3l, however, where these differ from the pence adding unit, for accepting amounts of one shilling carried forward from the penceI adding unit, as will now be described. :,In the foregoing description of the adding process it was stated that the switch wipers would make eleven steps, so adding eleven pence. However, the switch may be in such a position thatl the addition will entail carrying forward one Shilling into the shillings adding unit. For example, if fourpence was already recorded, the addition` vof elevenpence would result in an amount of` one Shilling andv threepence, the Shilling tobe transferred tothe shillings adding unit kand the threepence to be indicated on the lamp indicator 3I. Y v vvReferring again to Fig. 3, it will be seen that the circuit of relay PA includes the wiper pm andtwelve contacts of its bank. When the switch steps onto the thirteenth contact, however, there is no circuit to relay PA and so the stepping circuit is broken. In this position the switch has reached twelve pence and one Shilling must be added in the shillings adding unit and then magnet PM may step the switch onto the zero, position to complete the addingy of pence. In the thirteenth position of the switch, earth is applied through contact oc2, wiper pmi; and

itsI thirteenth contact, contact @m3, relay CC,

to battery. Relay CC operated its contacts ccI to cc3, Operated contact colV closes a circuit for switch magnet PM, over contact pal, operated contactA ccI, switch magnet PM, to battery. Thus the switch is prepared to step onto the Zero position, but cannot do so until the circuit is again broken by relay CC. Referring now to the shillings ,adding unit 3l, relay SA is shown which fulls the same function as relay PA in the pence adding unit. Magnet SM fulfils a similar 'function as magnet PM in the pence adding unit and thee-,number of shillings added `will be shown on an indicator similar to 3l. The relay SA normally operates over contact co3 of the relay CC but when relay CC operates, this circuit is broken. If relay SA is operated at that time, however, the circuit is still completed through contact saZ, thus 'permitting relay SA to complete its cycle of voperation but not to re-operate once it releases. With relay SA released a circuit is completed from earth, over contact sal, operated contact co2, magnet SM, to battery. Thus magnet SM operates and prepares to step its wipers on. Magnet SM operates its contact smI, and as magnet PM has also opened its contact pm3, relay CC releases. Contact co2 releases magnet SM which steps on one Shilling. Contact co3 restores the circuit for relay SA which restarts the counting process. Contact ccI releases magnet PM, which steps its lwipers onto the first position, restoring the counting circuit to relay PA, and indicating (l pence on vindicator 3|. This unit now counts any remaining pence.

By these means as each article is released from the releasing devices its price is automatically determined and added into the adding units, which show a progressive total of the articles sold. When an order of several articles has been assembled and the price noted, it is necessary to restore ,the indicator 3l and the corresponding shillings indicator to Zero ready for the next order. This is accomplished by operating key FK (Fig. 3) which operates relay OC. The contact ocl closes a circuit from earth, over operated contact o cI, wiper pm and contacts 2 to I3 of its back, contact pml, magnet PM to battery. The `magnet PM will thus operate, break itsvown circuit at contact pml, release and step on, remake its circuit, and so on until it reaches the rst contact, where the `circuit is broken 'at wiper pm5. The contact 002 disables relay CC during this operation, to prevent misoperation of the carry forward circuit. Other contacts of relay OC perform similar functions for the shilling adding unit 3l.

Although as described only two denominations are handled by this pricing unit, the third set of contacts IIcr5 etc. could be wired through similar equipment to price in half-pence or in pounds, and carry forward circuits similar to the one described could be used to transfer amounts to the next higher denomination. Similarly, there is no need for the apparatus to be limited to sterling currency, any other currency may be used with only slight variations in the details of the circuits. d

The apparatus in Fig. 3 is concerned with adding together the prices of various articles in an order. To indicate the price of each article as it is released another indicator may be provided which responds to the relays IP-I IP and indicates each price as it is transmitted to the adding units.

It is often. desirable to`be able to make use of the 'pricing facilities of the apparatus without releasing articles from storage. This may be done to permit the price being charged for any article to be checked, or tc total the values of a number of articles which are not required to. be assembled at the time, or which have been assembled manually, or to check the addition of the items of a previous order.

To provide this feature a key CH (Fig. 1) is fitted, which may be operated tov prevent the operation of the clutches (I ICL etc). 'Operation of key CH operates relay CA with its contacts cal to ca3. Operated contact caI breaks the circuit to the clutches, and operated contact cu2 breaks one. of the two paths between relay PC and the particular clutch relay (HCR etc.) that. is operated. The operated contact. cas operates relay CB (Fig. 3) which breaks the circuits to the registers PTR and PSR. Instead of rela-y CBv additional contacts of relay CA can be used for the same purpose.

When an article cod-e is now transmitted to the apparatus by means of keys KI-KU (Figi), the circuit functions as previously described, exceptV as explained hereunder:

When relay PC operates, no circuit is completed. for the clutch as contact cal i's-operated. As no article is released, the trip contact cannot be used to release the clutch relay and relay PC. To effect this release the circuit is broken at contact tl of relay T, which is a slow-release relay, released by contact pel, so that a short time after relay PC operates its circuit is broken by contact` tl, thus' releasing also the clutch relay and the relays set up during the selection of the article code. The apparatus is then ready for selection of the next article code.

The operation of the clutch relay transmits the price to the pricing unit in the usual manner, and successive prices so transmitted will be added together. The operation of relay CB disables the registers PTR and PSR, so that they do not add the amounts into their total. Should it be preferred, however, one or more of these lregisters. could be left in circuit to include the total of such amounts or a separate register could be brought into circuit by' a make contact of relay CB to keep a separate record of these transactions.

At other times it becomes necessary to operate the storage and releasing devices without operating the selecting or pricing devices. For example, when it is necessary to load more articles into the device shown in Fig. 4, thev loading bar 5T is lowered to prevent articles falling oi the. belt 38, which is then driven forward, sliding under any articles which abut the loading bar and carrying forward any articles loaded onto the back of the conveyor belt. The loading bar 51 may be common to a number of storagev and releasingy devices in the same horizontal rowand the contacts operated by it will be included in the circuits of the storage and releasing devices associated with that loading bar. age and releasing devices associated with relay A of Fig. 1 are shown also associated with the loading bar contacts ILSI and ILS2, but any other storage and releasing devices could be associated with that particular loading bar 51 and connected through the same contacts ILSI and ILS2.

To load articles onto the device shown in Fig. 4 the loading baril is rst lowered into the position indicated by the dotted lines. the contacts ILSI and ILS2. Operated contact ILS2 breaks the circuit between relay PC (Fig. 1) and the relays IUCL-IICL etc. of the storage and releasing devices associated with thisl loading bar, thus preventing these devices from being operated by the keys. Operated contact ILSI applies battery to the tip connections of the loading jacks IDLJ, IILJ.

A plug having the tip and ring conductors connected together is now inserted in the jack I' ILJ, thus completing a circuit from earth over clutch l ICL, loading jack` l ILJ, loading bar switch 115|, to battery. The clutch operates and draws the belt forward so that articles may be loadedon to the back of it and carried forward toward the loading bar 51V which prevents the articles from leavingk the belt at this end'.

In Fig. 2 the stor- This operates Theprovision of a separate clutch relay CR for each bin enables the operation of the pricing unit PU and the clutch magnet. CL independently from each other. and furthermore simplifies the circuits and contact arrangements necessary to ensure a reliable working of the system.

By inserting a dummy plug in the jack LJ of a bin circuit the corresponding clutch magnet CL can be isolated to prevent the discharge of articles from this bin in case a fault has developed in the bin arrangement.

The foregoing description shows the invention by way of example only. Instead of price indications other value indications can be checked in the same manner. Modications in the circuits as well as in the principle of working can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

l. A value indicating and registering arrangement comprising: a set of contact members selectively operable in accordance with the designations of the kinds of articles to be valued; a selecting mechanism electrically connected with said contact members; switching means individual to each kind of article and electrical connections therefrom to said selecting mechanism, each of said switching means being selectively operable by the operation of said contact members in accordance with the designation of the corresponding kind of article; a locking circuit for eachof said switching means; a timing device including-relay means and electrical connections therefrom to said switching means and operable therewith to interrupt said locking circuits a predetermined time interval after the opera-tion of any of said switching means; a jumpering frame including two groups of terminals, one group of terminals of said jumpering frame being electrically connected with said switching means; and value indicating and registering means and connections therefrom to the other group of terminals of said jumpering frame, the connections between the two groups of terminals of said vjumpering frame being adjustable to alter the relationship of any of said switching means to said indicating and registering means.

2. A value indicating and registering arrangement comprising a set of contact members selectively operable in accordance with the designations of the various kinds of articles to be Valued; switching means individual to each kind of article; a selecting mechanism common to and electrically connected with said switching means and further electrical connections from said common selecting mechanism to said set or contact members to selectively operate any of said switching means in accordance with the designation of a kind of article selected by said contact members; pre-settable value determining means to define the value of each kind of article, said value determining means being common to and electrically connected with said switching means to determi-ne the value of each selected article;

a timing device and electrical connections there- Lmeans and operable by said value' determining means and said switching means to relateeach of said switching means to the particularindicating and registering means indicating the value of the corresponding kind of article. l.

3. In an article dispensing system a value indicating and registering arrangement including value indicating and registering vmeans for the various kinds of articles to be dispensed; a set of Contact members selectivelyoperable in ac-` cordance'with the designationsv of said various kinds of articles; switching .means individual to each kind of article; a selecting mechanism common to and electrically connected with said switching means Yand further electrical connections from said selecting mechanism to said set of contact .members to selectively operate any'of said switching means in accordance with the des-- ignation of a kind of article selected by .said contact members; a plurality of storage devices each carrying one of said kinds of articles for dispensing; releasing means individual tovsaid storage devices and Ielectrical connections from each of said switching means to a corresponding releasing means to effect the release of an articleof the corresponding kind on the selection of said switching means; and pre-settable Value determining means to dene the value of each kind of article, said value determining means being com mon to and electrically connected with said.

, pensed and electrically operated releasing means associated therewith; pre-settable value determining means; value indicating and adding means and electrical connections therefrom to said value determining means; an article selecting mechanism common to said storage devices; and switching means individually associated with said releasing means and electrical connections from said selecting mechanism to said switching means for the selective operation thereof, said switching means having electrical contact means and electrical connections therefrom to corresponding releasing-means for the selective release of articles from said storage devices and further electrical contact means and electrical connec-V tions therefrom to said value determining meansV to determine the value of each selected article and to indicate and add said value at said value indicating and adding means.

. 5. In an article dispensing system for the dis-` pensing of articles of various kinds a plurality of storage devices carrying articles to be dispensed and electrically operated releasing means associated therewith; value indicating and adding means; an article selecting mechanism common to said storage devices; switching means individually associated with said releasing means,

and electrical connections from said selecting mechanism to said switching means for the selec-- tive operation thereof, said switching means'having electrical contact means and electrical connections therefrom to corresponding Vreleasing means for the selective release of articles from said storage devices, and further electrical con-- tact means associated with and operable by said switching means and electrical connections therefrom to said value indicating and adding means to indicate and addthe value of each selectedA l2 article; and a loading switch anda jack interi posed in the operating circuit of said releasing means, said jack being operable vto disconnectl vidually associated with .said releasing n'mans,y

and electrical connections .from .said selecting mechanismto said switching means for the selec?.-

tive operation thereof, said switching means hav.- ing electrical contact means and electrical connections therefrom to corresponding releasing means for theselective release of articles from said storage devices, and `further electrical contact means, associated with androperable by said switching means and electrical connections therefrom. to said value indicating and adding means' tojindicateand add the value of each selectedarticle; a loading switch and; a jack interposed in the operatingv circuit of said releasing means, saidv Ajack being operable toy disconnect said switching means from said releasing means and to connect said releasing means with said loading switch; a common lead for the operating circuits` of a plurality of lsaid switching means and electrical connections between said common lead and said loadingswitch, said'loading switch being operable to close a circuit for said releasing meansY and to interrupt said common lead.

'7. In an article dispensing system for the dispensing of -articles of various kinds a pluralityl of storage -devices carrying articles to be dispensed and electrically operated releasing means associated therewithypre-settable value deter-l mining means; value indicating and adding means `and electrical connections Itherefrom to saiclvaluev determining means; an article selectingmechanism common to said storage devices; switchingmeans individually associated with said releasing means and Aelectrical connections from said selecting mechanism to said switching means for the selective operation thereof, saidv switching means having electrical contact meansand electrical connections therefroml to' said value deter.`

miningmeans. to determine the value of each selected-article, and further contact means and electrical connections thereirom to said releasing means; r a locking circuit for each of said switching means; and value checking means and elec-vv trical connections therefrom to said releasing means land said switching means, said value checking means upon actuation interrupting Isaid associated therewith; pre-settable value deter, mining v.means; valuev indicating and. adding" means and electrical connections therefrom `to said'value determining means; van article selecting mechanism common to said storage devices;l

switching relays individually associated with said releasing means and electricalconnections froml said selecting mechanism tcsaid switching relays,v

said switching relays having contact sets and electrical connectionstherefrom to said releasing means and said value determining means to independently operate said releasing means and said value indicating and adding means; a locking circuit for each of said switching relays; a timing device and electrical connections therefrom to said switching relays and operable therewith and a checking relay and contacts thereof interposed in the operating circuits of said releasing means and said locking circuits to interrupt said operating circuits on the operation of said checking relay and to render said timing device eiective to interrupt said locking circuits after a predetermined time interval.

9. In an article dispensing lsystem for the dispensing of articles of Various kinds a plurality of storage devices carrying articles to be dispensed and electrically operated releasing means associated therewith; pre-settable Value determining means; value indicating and adding means and electrical connections therefrom to said Value determining means; Value registering means and electrical connections therefrom to said Value indicating and adding means to regis ter amounts added in said adding means; an article selecting mechanism common to said storage devices; switching relays individually associated with said releasing means and electrical connections from said selecting mechanism to said switching relays, said switching relays having Contact sets and electrical connections therefrom to said releasing means and said value determining means to independently operate said releasing means and said value indicating and adding means; a locking circuit for each 0f said switching relays; a timing device and electrical connections therefrom to said switching relays and operable therewith to interrupt said locking circuits after a predetermined time interval; and a checking relay and contacts thereof interposed in the operating circuits of said releasing means and said value registering means respectively to prevent the operation of said releasing means and said value-registering means on operation of said checking relay.

PETER LINCOLN LAW.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,773,421 Bryce Aug. 19, 1930 1,938,526 Limb Dec. 5, 1933 2,276,293 Farmer Mar. 17, 1942 2,353,002 Armbruster July 4, 1944 2,374,537 Goldsmith Apr. 24, 1945 2,535,461 Skillman Dec. 10, 1950 

